Beverage dispensers are commonly used to dispense post-mixed beverages to employees and customers. Conventional beverage dispensers include at least one dispensing nozzle from which base fluids, such as high fructose corn syrup and water, and additive fluids, such as concentrates, sweeteners, and flavor syrups, are dispensed to form a mixed beverage. As multiple base fluids and multiple additive fluids are combined to form the mixed beverage, proper and adequate mixing of the fluids is necessary to ensure that the mixed beverages have consistent quality. There is therefore a need in the art for improved beverage dispensers that consistently mix base fluids and additive fluids that form various mixed beverages.
The following U.S. patents and U.S. patent application Publications are incorporated herein by reference in entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,690 discloses a mixing nozzle for a post-mix beverage dispenser having a water supply chamber co-axially surrounding a syrup supply port, an elongate syrup diffuser having a spray head on its lower end, an upper water distribution disc on the diffuser having a plurality of apertures having a cumulative opening area for passage of water, a convex frusto-conical water spreader is directly below the upper disc, and a lower water distribution disc is spaced below the upper disc and the spreader.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,442 discloses a nozzle for a post-mix beverage dispensing valve for optimizing flow. The nozzle includes a first diffuser plate followed by a central flow piece having a frusto-conical outer water flow surface and an interior syrup flow channel Second and third diffuser plates follow the frusto-conical portion. The second and third diffuser plates have perimeter edges that contact the inner surface of a nozzle housing so that the carbonated water must flow through holes in the diffusers. In this manner the gradual reduction of pressure of the carbonated water to atmospheric can be controlled in part by increasing the surface area of the holes in each successive diffuser.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,632 discloses a flow splitter for use with a dispensing nozzle. The dispensing nozzle dispenses a first fluid and a second fluid. The flow splitter may include an inner chamber for collecting the first fluid and an outer chamber for collecting the second fluid. The inner chamber may include an internal vent so as to vent air into the inner chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,866,509 discloses a dispensing nozzle assembly for dispensing a number of micro-ingredients into a fluid stream. The dispensing nozzle assembly may include a micro-ingredient mixing chamber, a number of micro-ingredient lines in communication with the micro-ingredient mixing chamber such that the micro-ingredients mix therein, and a mixed micro-ingredient exit such the mixed micro-ingredients are dispensed into the fluid stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,328,050 discloses dispensing nozzle assembly for dispensing a number of micro-ingredients into a fluid stream. The dispensing nozzle assembly may include a micro-ingredient mixing chamber, a number of micro-ingredient lines in communication with the micro-ingredient mixing chamber such that the micro-ingredients mix therein, and a mixed micro-ingredient exit such the mixed micro-ingredients are dispensed into the fluid stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,879 discloses a product dispenser that includes at least one macro-ingredient source, at least one micro-ingredient source positioned about the dispenser, a diluent source, a dispensing valve, a number of pumps or metering devices, and a user interface. The user interface receives a request for a product type and instructs the pumps or metering devices to dispense a predetermined type and ratio of macro-ingredients, micro-ingredients, and diluent to the dispensing valve for a predetermined flow rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,010,577 discloses a fountain beverage dispenser for constituting a beverage by mixture of a beverage syrup and a diluent for the syrup. The dispenser uses of a highly concentrated beverage syrup supply and at least one diluent and syrup blending station for diluting the highly concentrated syrup with diluent before the diluted syrup is mixed with diluent in the final mixture of syrup and diluent delivered to a dispensing nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,656,849 discloses a valve dispensing system that can be used in a beverage dispenser. The valve dispensing system has individual valve module components that control the flow of a beverage or beverage component, and a plurality of valve module components may be combined to form a system capable of dispensing a plurality of beverages and/or beverage components.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0315006 discloses a dispensing nozzle assembly with a core module with a diluent path and a sweetener path, an injector ring with a number of micro-ingredient paths and a number of macro-ingredient paths surrounding the core module, and a target assembly positioned about the core module.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0162710 discloses a dispensing nozzle assembly with a core module assembly and an injector ring assembly surrounding the removable core module assembly. The injector ring assembly may include a number of first paths surrounding the core module assembly and extending to a dispensing ring and a number of second paths surrounding the first paths and extending to the dispensing ring.